Dynamo Edge Closer To Final

Nadezhda Grishaeva was one of five Dynamo Moscow players in double digits

Dynamo Moscow will take a useful nine point advantage to Vologda for the second leg of the EuroCup Women semi-finals after claiming an 82-73 home success against Chevakata who hauled themselves back into the tie during the closing stages.

Whilst the advantage might clearly be with the club from the Russian capital, a critically important late show from the visitors set up an intriguing return leg next week.

Early in the fourth quarter, any chance of making the Final looked to be ebbing dangerously away from Chevakata when baskets by Svetlana Abrosimova and Nadezhda Grishaeva extended the already healthy advantage of Dynamo to 73-56.

However, Chevakata worked hard to get themselves back into the contest down the stretch by scoring seven of the last nine points in the game.

Indeed things could have been even better for Dmitry Donskov and his players had Elena Volkova not missed two free-throws in the dying seconds.

For long periods, it had looked like the superior depth of Dynamo Moscow might allow them to jump towards the Final - especially when they took control in the second period and outscored their opponents 26-15 to go eight points up at the interval.

But,despite their general dominance, they ultimately left the door ajar and Chevakata made the most of it in the last few minutes of the game.

Grishaeva top scored for the hosts with 20 points, whilst Crystal Langhorne weighed in with 17 points and ten rebounds.